Danville's Lincoln Park local historic district holds properties from the 1850s, including the Greek Revival-style Lamon House built in 1850, and the West Downtown neighborhood dates to the late 19th century. Homes like these, along with older houses in Hoopeston, Westville, Georgetown, Tilton and Catlin, went up long before anyone wrote accessibility standards. Many are multi-story, with narrow interior staircases and a set of exterior steps just to reach the front door.
Vermilion County covers about 901 square miles of relatively flat farmland in eastern Illinois, along the Indiana line. That flat ground means hills and steep lots are rarely the problem here. The stairs inside the house are, and that is where a stair lift does its work across all 20 towns, from Rossville and Oakwood to Ridge Farm, Sidell and Allerton.
Danville carries 10 National Register of Historic Places listings and 21 locally designated historic sites, and much of the surrounding housing is just as old. A single straight flight in one of these homes can usually take a straight stair lift, which mounts to the treads rather than the wall. Narrow staircases need a careful measurement, because the folded seat and rail still have to leave room for others to use the stairs.
Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner call for a curved rail built to that staircase. Older homes often have these turns, so we measure each one in person before recommending anything.
The county's housing mix includes single-family homes, townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A split-level often has two short flights instead of one long one, so the question becomes which flight blocks the bedroom or bathroom and whether one lift solves it.
Row houses and townhouses tend to have tight stairwells between shared walls. In a walk-up apartment, the owner of the building has a say in what gets installed on a common stairway, so that conversation comes first.
Because the land is flat, outdoor access trouble in Vermilion County mostly comes from the house itself. Many older homes have exterior stairs up to the entry, and those steps can keep someone indoors as surely as a long inside staircase.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle the weather on those entry steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can talk through both at the same visit.
About 19.6% of Vermilion County residents are 65 or older, and 64.3% of households own their homes. That is a lot of people planning to stay put in houses with stairs.
The county's population dropped from 97,047 in 1970 to 74,188 at the 2020 Census after coal mines and factories closed, including a major General Motors plant. Many long-time owners live in aging homes with limited room in the budget for a retrofit, so the funding programs matter here more than in most places.
Age 60 is the dividing line for Illinois programs. Residents under 60 with a severe disability go through the Home Services Program, which covers home modifications but does not name stair lifts, so a caseworker decides case by case. Residents 60 and over are referred to the Department on Aging, whose Community Care Program pays for in-home services rather than equipment.
For seniors, a good first call is CRIS Healthy Aging at (217) 443-2999 or the East Central Illinois AAA (PSA 5) at (309) 829-2065. Low-income homeowners can ask the City of Danville Community Development Division at (217) 431-2321 about the IHDA Home Repair and Accessibility Program, and rural homeowners 62 and older may qualify for USDA Section 504 grants up to $10,000.
Veterans should know the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The Veterans Assistance Commission of Vermilion County at (217) 554-7950, 123 North Hazel in Danville, can help sort out other VA options. Statewide resources such as the IATP ATLOAN$ Program, the DRS Home Modification Program (Centers for Independent Living) and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption are also worth asking about.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability, which covers home modifications for loss of function; stair lifts are not named, so a DHS-DRS caseworker decides each case. Call (877) 581-3690.
Funds modifications that make the home safer and reduce dependence on others for residents under 60 with severe disabilities, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Residents 60 and over are referred to the Department on Aging; call (800) 843-6154.
For Medicaid-enrolled residents 60 and over with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, covering in-home service, emergency home response, adult day service and automated medication dispensers. Home modifications and stair lifts are not among its listed services; call (800) 252-8966.
The local starting point for older adults and caregivers, offering information services, meals, care coordination and caregiver support, with no stair lift funding listed. Call (217) 443-2999 to ask about Community Care Program enrollment and referrals.
A forgivable loan or grant for low- and very-low-income homeowners, run locally by the City of Danville Community Development Division; stair lifts are not named and waitlists are common. Call (217) 431-2321.
Offers 1% loans up to $40,000 and, for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, grants up to $10,000 that can make a home accessible. Stair lifts are not specifically named.
A lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 for permanent structural changes for eligible disabled veterans. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are explicitly excluded as removable equipment.
Grants up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a permanent home. The source does not say one way or the other about stair lifts.
A disability services and advocacy organization listing accessibility and accommodations among its core services, without itemizing stair lifts. Call (217) 344-5433 and confirm Vermilion County is in its service area.
Older adults
1003 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington, 61704
Veterans
123 North Hazel, Danville, 61832
No. HISA rules explicitly exclude stair glides and porch lifts because the grant only funds permanent structural changes. SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the Veterans Assistance Commission of Vermilion County at (217) 554-7950.
Yes, the Illinois Home Services Program serves residents under 60 with severe disabilities and covers home modifications. Stair lifts are not named, so the caseworker decides. Call (800) 843-6154 or (877) 581-3690 for the waiver.
Start with CRIS Healthy Aging at (217) 443-2999 or the East Central Illinois AAA (PSA 5) at (309) 829-2065. They handle Community Care Program enrollment, which covers in-home services rather than equipment, and can point you to other programs.
Often, yes. Many older homes here have exterior stairs into the house, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can be fitted to them after we measure the steps and the entry.
The City of Danville runs the IHDA Home Repair and Accessibility Program locally, and demand is described as exceeding funding, so waitlists are common. Call (217) 431-2321 early to get in line.
Only in eligible rural areas, for very-low-income homeowners who live in a single-family home. Grants up to $10,000 are limited to applicants 62 or older, and stair lifts are not specifically named.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
